Mesquite council to re-introduce marijuana bills

After the Mesquite City Council voted Tuesday 4-1 to delay introducing bills regarding medical marijuana until the second meeting of January 2015, council members have since decided against the original vote and plan to have the bills put on the July 22 agenda during the technical review meeting July 15.

The original plan was for the council to introduce the bills as ordinances and set a public hearing for July 22.

However, after hearing numerous comments opposing a dispensary in Mesquite, Councilman Kraig Hafen made a motion to postpone introducing the bills, which also meant postponing the public hearing.

Council members agreed there needed to be more public input before voting on the issue. Councilman George Rapson voted against the motion.

The Nevada Legislature legalized medical marijuana with Senate Bill 374 last year. The law now exists under Nevada Revised Statute 453.

By delaying the introduction of the bills to gather more public input, including from snowbirds, Mesquite will not be able to accept applications for a grow facility, dispensary or anything of the type until August of 2015.

The state only accepts applications for 10 days in August.

Council member Cindi Delaney and Geno Withelder, after speaking with constituents, decided to have the items placed back on the agenda at next week's tech review meeting. The bills will then be heard again and if the council votes to proceed with the hearing, the hearing will take place Aug. 5, the beginning of the 10-day window for applications. If Mesquite does not apply within those 10 days, the city will not be able to accept applications for a grow facility, dispensary or anything of the type until August of 2015.

If the decision to hold a public hearing on the bills is delayed again, cardholders will be able to grow their own marijuana. Deputy City Attorney Bob Sweetin said as he reads the law it says people can have 12 marijuana plants, two and a half ounces of useable marijuana to smoke, two and a half ounces of usable marijuana for edible purposes, meaning to be baked into food of some sort, every two weeks.

This means per month, a person with a medical marijuana card can have the 12 plants and a combined 10 ounces of marijuana for smoking and edible use per month. Litman, at the council meeting, said the typical amount of marijuana a person using it for recreational purposes goes through is less than two ounces a month.

The medical marijuana grown inside people's home cannot be accumulated, meaning what is grown within the two-week period must be used. However, there is no system in place to see if the marijuana is being used or dispensed of properly.

Cardholders also have the option of driving to Las Vegas, or sending a caregiver, to obtain the marijuana. It cannot be mailed.

Visit dvtnv.com Friday for more information and exclusive interviews with the deputy city attorney, mayor, Councilman George Rapson and Councilwoman Cindi Delaney.